The breadth of the Oscar Brown Jr. catalog of music is practically unknown today. Linda has taken this music, considered part of the jazz repertoire, and made it her own with her silky & sensuous sound.

14 MP3 Songs
JAZZ: Jazz Vocals, JAZZ: Smooth Jazz



Details:
(San Francisco) In her newly released CD, Long as Youâre Living, singer Linda Kosut brings the music, lyrics and spirit of singer/song writer Oscar Brown, Jr., wonderfully to life. Following the acclaimed stage tribute to Brownâs music that Kosut has been performing for the past year, Long as Youâre Living is a heartfelt and wholly enjoyable expression of the admiration Kosut has felt for the iconic African American musician since she first heard his music in the early 60s when still in her teens.

Dramatic, whimsical, bluesy and swinging in turn, the deeply talented Kosut applies a deft touch to Brownâs compositions, and brings the kind of fire youâd expect from a musician offering up an homage born of a life-long musical love affair with the work of a legendary artist. Her deep, mellifluous voice is strong and agile enough to carry the emotional weight of Brownâs most compelling lyrics, yet she treads nimbly, foregoing over-dramatic flourishes in favor of subtlety. The results are satisfying in the extreme.

Kosut begins with âA Tree and Me,â quickly establishing her evocative vocal authority through this contemplative number about time and mortality. But next, a quick flash of van Wageninganâs brushes jumps us off into the devilish fun of âMr. Kicksâ that gives Perkoff a chance to romp at the keyboards and Kosut a chance to snap and swing. The sly naughtiness of âHazelâs Hipsâ serves up a saucy blues that lets Perkoff unpack his trombone for a down home solo.

But perhaps Kosut is at her best here interpreting some of Brownâs most thought-provoking lyrics. Listen, for example, to her rendering of Brownâs rarely heard lyrics to ââRound Midnight.â Instead of a lament for lost love, Brownâs lyrics to the famous tune conjures the aching uncertainty of the darkness from which each new day is born. And listen, as well, to the plaintive call for community of âBrother, Where are You?â Kosutâs reading lets us feel the plight of a lonely soul searching vainly it seems, for comfort and aid.

Oscar Brown, Jr., of course, was one of the most distinctive artistic interpreters of the Black experience during the tumultuous 1960s. As a musician, lyricist, poet, playwright and teacher, Brown was a singular, entirely uncompromising presence, and an artist who adeptly reflected the troubles and aspirations of his community in a manner that still resonates mightily. Brown passed away in 2005, shy of his 80th birthday.

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Personnel: Max Perkoff, piano & trombone; Tom Shader, bass; Paul van Wageningen, percussion
Producers: Maye Cavallaro & Linda Kosut
Engineer: Gary Mankin, San Francisco
Recorded: Mesa Recording, Sebastopol
Mixed/mastered: Knob & Tube, San Francisco

For more information about Linda Kosut, her music, and Long as Youâre Living, her CD and performance tribute to Oscar Brown, Jr., please contact Jizel Music at info @ jizelmusic.com